Australia’s love-in with USA and NATO
(I don’t know about the rest of Australians, but I found this article a bit sick-making – Christina Macpherson)
every time NATO deploys Australia is there as a great, great friend of the United States.
The increased formalisation of ties between NATO and partnership countries will be discussed at a meeting on Monday to be addressed by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.
US turns the screws on NATO, lauds its ally Australia SMH, May 19, 2012 “… the report was enthusiastic of the expanding role of non-NATO partnership countries, such as Australia, which was, it noted, among a small group of countries that contributed ”real combat or niche capabilities to the mission” in Afghanistan.
Professor Burns said closer ties to NATO would have significant
benefits for Australia ”You had to deploy to Afghanistan, and yet you
had no say in the nature of that engagement,” he said. ”You should
be in on the take-off if your troops are going into harms’ way.” He
said Australians benefited from exercising or deploying alongside
European nations, but had no obligation to do so.
”It is the best of both worlds. Your country would not be obligated
to fight or to train with us. It would be your call. But we have
noticed that every time NATO deploys Australia is there as a great,
great friend of the United States.
”So we are not calling for Australia to join NATO. We are calling for
a partnership to develop … where Australia trains with [say] Germany
and with Britain and with France.
”Let’s say there is another disaster the way there was in December
’04. What happened on December 26, 2004? Australia, the United States,
India and Japan deployed together to help the people of Aceh because
we had exercised together.”….
He said Australia’s experience fighting alongside NATO forces in
Afghanistan in support of the US alliance was made more difficult
because Australia had no experience of operating with the European
forces. ”If we end up with another situation like Afghanistan where
we decided it is in our interested to get involved, we will not have
those problems.”….
The increased formalisation of ties between NATO and partnership
countries will be discussed at a meeting on Monday to be addressed by
the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Those countries that took part in
the International Security Assistance Force, including Australia, will
also discuss further plans for the withdrawal from Afghanistan by
2014, and how much assistance will be given to the nation once ISAF
has disbanded.
Ms Gillard has already pledged $300 million over three years…..
Later this year, NATO’s Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will
travel to Australia to sign a ”high level political declaration”
further formalising ties with the alliance.
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1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
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